Hearts Intertwined

After dismissing the court ladies who had been attending, Ria entered Carla's room alone.

It was a simple room. Apart from documents on the desk, there was nothing else—nothing that gave off any sense of life.

In the canopied bed at the far end, Carla lay.

Her complexion was still pale. That paleness, conversely, had sublimated her beauty into something beyond human.

"Ria?"

"Did I wake you?"

"No."

Carla tried to sit up, but Ria pushed her back down onto the bed.

"Does it still hurt?"

"No, though my stamina hasn't recovered."

Even as she said that, her magical power probably hadn't recovered either.

Ria took Carla's right hand. The severed parts had reconnected cleanly.

"Can you move it now?"

"There's still some numbness, but…"

Ria moved her hand along Carla's arm as if tracing it, then touched her tongue to that area.

Carefully, Ria traced Carla's arm with her lips. When she reached the fingers, she bit the tip of her pinky with her lips.

Carla let out a soft sigh. Ria extended her hand and began to undress Carla.

"Ria…"

"Show me your other scars too."

Saying that, Ria spread open the collar of Carla's clothes.

The scars had healed cleanly, though they still held a slight redness.

Ria traced Carla's body with her fingertips and lips.

"I'll never… let anyone else touch you again."

Carla's arms moved, embracing Ria against her body.

When Ria looked at her, Carla's eyes were wet as well.

"I'll never let you… go somewhere beyond my reach again."

"As long as you don't let go of my hand."

As if seeking each other, their lips met.

Their lips parted, and their tongues intertwined.

Hands entwined with hands, legs entwined with legs, moving sensuously like a single living creature.

They sucked each other's tongues again and again. Hands and legs exchanged their heat.

Before long, an incredible heat was born from Ria's lower abdomen.

"Ria, that's… a man's…"

Surprise showed on Carla's beautiful face, flushed with fever.

"Valis told me. When two people desire each other strongly enough, it happens naturally…"

Indeed, Carla desired Ria intensely.

And of course, Ria desired Carla just as intensely.

"Yes, Ria… please, come…"

Lying on her back, Carla moved to receive Ria.

And Ria offered herself into Carla.

That night, the two joined as one.

Again and again.

Over and over, they joined together.

Ria released inside Carla, changing positions many times, continuing to release.

Carla moved as Ria willed, responding, and climaxed many times.

Again and again. Over and over. They sought each other. They gave themselves to each other in countless ways.

"I never said it before. I love you, Carla."

"Yes, I love you too."

A belated confession.

The morning light was strong. They must have overslept considerably.

"Ria, please wake up."

How many years had it been since someone had woken her?

When the naked Ria opened her eyes, Carla, who should have been in her arms, had already changed into her clothes and was standing beside the bed looking no different from usual.

It was as if the previous night had been a dream, but the disaster upon the bed told her otherwise.

Ria's body had returned to normal. As if that form had manifested just at that moment, only when needed.

"I'm going to work now. Could you… please take care of the bed?"

Carla spoke in a hushed voice. This was certainly not something she could leave to the maids.

"Understood… Is your body alright?"

"I can still feel you inside me…"

Carla said, her cheeks faintly flushed.

Hearing that, Ria couldn't help but blush as well.

"Today, I'll only do light work… Ah…"

"What's wrong?"

Fidgeting, Carla rubbed her inner thighs together.

"Yours… from inside…"

"S-sorry."

Both of them blushing, Carla forcibly switched to a dignified manner.

"Well then, see you later."

After Carla said that and left the room, Ria flopped back onto the bed.

"So cute…"

In Ria's arms, Carla had changed positions as she was guided, and Ria had touched her with lips and fingertips wherever Carla desired.

That could truly be called becoming one.

"Ah, I need to clean up, clean up."

Even as she said that, Ria rolled up and tucked away the sheets bearing the proof of Carla's purity.

Someday, when they did this again, she wanted to show Carla these sheets and see her reaction.

"Even so… I'm exhausted…"

She knew it was Carla's first time, but she couldn't stop. It felt as though something fundamental had been thoroughly drained from her, and she couldn't bring herself to get up.

She couldn't remember how many times they had done it. She had gone to the limits of her stamina, but now she belatedly worried whether Carla, who had just recovered from her injuries, was truly alright.

"Carla…"

Her fingertips and lips had touched nearly all of Carla's body.

Ria embraced herself and stayed motionless on the bed for just a little while longer.